I had a question regarding my marriage registry. I am getting married in July 1st this year and would like to get my marriage registered as I need to apply for my spouse's visa.I am getting married in West Bengal. How long does it take to get the marriage certificate. Is there a way I can get the marriage certificate within 2-3 days.
Is there any website where I can find some useful information.

We were married in Delhi under the Special Marriage Act at the Saket Magistrate's office, and picked up our marriage certificate about 30 minutes after the ceremony. My wife and I, the witnesses and the magistrate all signed it at the ceremony, it went down the hall for registration in some sort of Big Book, and we were out of there, certificate in hand.

We also got several notarized copies of the certificate at the same time, which came in very handy for US visa/PIO card exercises later on...

Thank you for your reply. I have heard that we need to submit the marriage registration form 30 days in advance. Is it necessary for me to be in India when I submit the marriage form. Can I just courier the form and someone back in India submit it.

Also if you don't mind, may I ask you in which year you got married,I have heard that things have changed since April of this year.

Originally Posted by curtdfwI don't think both parties need to be present to start the 30-day wait -- search the forum, as I know this has come up before.

We were married in August 2007.

How was your experience in the Saket office? Did you hire a lawyer, touts, etc? My girlfriend and I plan to tie the knot in Delhi later this year as I work and live in Delhi. So it will be great if you can share your experience!

p.s. I am an Indian citizen while my girlfriend is a foreigner.

Cheers,
Shamik

"A lot of people can't stand touring but to me it's like breathing. I do it because I'm driven to do it. "
Bob Dylan

Well, the Saket office is anything but romantic. I believe it's a pre-independence building (but not pre-enough to be interesting) with no A/C, and the area that was once a veranda or otherwise open to any breezes that may happen by has been closed off by shabby enclosures, making the area into a hallway with too few chairs. Bring a book. Bring water. Bring snacks.

We did hire an attorney (a family friend) but the peon assistant did most of the legwork schlepping the paperwork around. There are several posters that consider this unnecessary, but for us, not having to do the legwork was worth it.

The magistrate will see you when he’s ready. There were a bunch of people waiting to see the magistrate on the day of our wedding, but only three couples (and witnesses) were ushered, group by group, into the office. The others were told to come back the next day. We were the last ones in at around noon.

Also, my wife recalls that it was necessary that I be present at the beginning of the 30-day period. Since I, like you, was working in Delhi at the time, this was a non-issue.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. So as you said that you had to be present during the start of the 30 day period, so did you guys actually go (I mean you and and your wife)when you submitted the form to your lawyer or to the office.

The first time round we were both required to be physically present to sign a notice at the magistrate's office, mentioning our local and permanent addresses and contact numbers (take supporting IDs) - which was then posted on one of the many notice boards within the complex - basically it mentions that anyone who has a legally valid objection is allowed to bring it to the magistrate's attention within the 30 day period. Also, we had to pay for and address envelopes c/o our permanent addresses - in which they put in a copy of the notice and mailed. In my case they mailed it to my US address while I was in India -- fortunately they didn't need me to return any of the forms.

The posting is not without reason -- one one wall of a clerk's office (the one who has the Big Book we had to sign post marriage) was an old letter from a woman objecting to a posted notice of marriage because she was already married to the prospective groom.

Anyhow, we went the attorney route for most events, and are glad we did -- I lack the patience to handle that sort of thing (I'm the American half of the marriage) and in any case we both had jobs to attend to.

Well, there was also a constant stream of functionaries and hangers-on passing through the magistrate's office on who-knows-what business, along with several mobile-phone interruptions. The magistrate, to his credit, was a consummate multi-tasker.

Originally Posted by curtdfwWell, the Saket office is anything but romantic. I believe it's a pre-independence building (but not pre-enough to be interesting) with no A/C, and the area that was once a veranda or otherwise open to any breezes that may happen by has been closed off by shabby enclosures, making the area into a hallway with too few chairs. Bring a book. Bring water. Bring snacks.

We did hire an attorney (a family friend) but the peon assistant did most of the legwork schlepping the paperwork around. There are several posters that consider this unnecessary, but for us, not having to do the legwork was worth it.

The magistrate will see you when he’s ready. There were a bunch of people waiting to see the magistrate on the day of our wedding, but only three couples (and witnesses) were ushered, group by group, into the office. The others were told to come back the next day. We were the last ones in at around noon.

Also, my wife recalls that it was necessary that I be present at the beginning of the 30-day period. Since I, like you, was working in Delhi at the time, this was a non-issue.

Thanks a lot for sharing this. Time for me to look for a dependable lawyer then!

This may be a little late in the day for you. I am a foreigner and recently married at the Lake Town registry in Kolkata. Very few forms were required (passport and divorce certificate) 30 days prior to the wedding day and although not the most romantic place to get married it was a lot easier than my experience in Delhi.

Good luck, I know it's all very frustating but it's worth it in the end.